


Moonlight Minuet

by kittengriffin (Shadaras)



Series: Guardians (The Sunlight Saga) [6]
Category: Neopets
Genre: Gen, Magic, War Preparation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-05
Updated: 2010-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:54:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24039982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadaras/pseuds/kittengriffin
Summary: Sunlight Sonata, but from a different angle.Keben has a lot of feelings about what's going on, and also rather more knowledge.
Series: Guardians (The Sunlight Saga) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716496





	1. Afternoon Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> This one never made it into the Neopian Times. I'm posting it here anyway because I keep forgetting that.

He dreamed.

This was his skill, his talent, his mage-gift in a world where so little magic still remained and Dreamers like him held most, though not all, of its power.

He dreamed, and, as he dreamed, he saw what was and what would – or could – be.

_There were three of them in this dream, all of whom seemed familiar but none of whom he knew. One was a Kougra, fading into the earth, his fur colored like the dirt and mud he seemed so comfortable in and his eyes as golden as the sun. Another was a Draik, bright and proud, the color of night and shadows. He held a sword in one hand, and his mouth was open in laughter._

_The last, an Eyrie, was the one who drew his attention. Without knowing how, the dreamer knew he was blind. His eyes were a beautiful blue, the color of the sky at dusk, but he covered them with a golden band. That one, the dreamer knew, was like him._

_He saw himself standing beside the Eyrie, the Eyrie’s black fur a stark contrast to the dreamer’s own white. Beside the Kougra, a blue Xweetok ran in a sinuous figure eight. The dreamer wondered at that briefly, but the last image was the most telling. Beside the Draik, identical smiles on their faces, was a Kyrii, her bright red hair streaming like fire as she moved._

_A sunburst, eight points glistening with light, overtook it all, and, as the sunburst faded into darkness, the dreamer awoke._

He had seen this twice before: once when he was but a child and knew not the power of his dreams, and once when he had joined the Republic. This third time held another element, and with the clarity only dreams can bring, the dreamer knew that now was the time. They would come, and soon.

Lying in bed, eyes still closed, the Zafara held the dream in his memory. He’d dreamed true, and he knew that in his heart in the same way that he knew that they had to retake Neopia from Sloth. The dream-images burned into his memory, the Zafara rose, sweeping his dark blue cloak off the table beside him and pulling it on as he walked. Proteus had to know about his dream as soon as possible, and it didn’t matter if he was woken from a sound sleep. The time was coming for them to rise.

Soon, sunlight would return to the world and the Traitor Republic would be traitorous no more.

* * *

Sitting in Proteus’s room, the Zafara waited for his leader to stop pacing. The Scorchio had to make his decision soon or it wouldn’t matter. Watching, only half aware of Proteus’s movements, the Zafara let his mind roam, thinking about the dream he had just told. He knew there was more to it, and if he could just reach a little further, he might even be able to understand what had been unsaid.

“Keben.”

Proteus’s almost musical voice startled the Zafara out of his thoughts. Collecting himself, Keben looked at the mutant. “Yes?”

“You and Sayang will go to find these three.” Proteus sat in his armchair with a sigh, resting his blue-gray head against its back. “And tell Set I’ve approved her plan.”

Keben stared at Proteus for a moment, trying to read the Scorchio’s expression. “You’re sure,” he said, voice flat. “You never agreed with that plan, and now you’re saying to use it?”

“We must be sure.” Proteus looked just as pained as Keben was. “And she’s right. Her plan will work. Just...”

“Don’t let her do it,” Keben finished. “I know. We need her. But what if it doesn’t work?”

“Keben, I’m sorry.” Dark claws digging into the tough outer coating of his chair, Proteus shook his head. “Faeries know, I don’t want that to happen any more than you do.”

“But it’s for the best.” Rising, Keben bowed. “I will do as you ask. I just hope that it works out for the best.”

“The Faeries and your dreams will guide us,” Proteus said confidently, but his smile looked forced. Keben smiled back sadly, turning to leave. He wasn’t as sure as Proteus was trying to be, but he didn’t need to be. He was just the Dreamer, and Proteus led the Traitor Republic. And Keben knew better than anyone that his dreams never said as much as he wanted them to. They said just enough for Dreamers to make their own decisions, but no more.

Pushing aside the curtain that separated Proteus’s rooms from the main warrens, Keben sighed. He would do as he was told, but first he wanted to clarify the dream. Or dream a new one, perhaps. That might work better. Then the dream might tell him outright where the three he dreamt of were. As it was, he had nothing to go on but a nagging doubt that they weren’t even in the same world, let alone in Central. Walking through the warren corridors like he was lost in a dream, Keben returned to his room.

Ducking through the curtain he had hung to separate his rooms from the main corridors, the Zafara flopped onto his bed. He stared at the dark ceiling, eyes automatically tracing the patterns of cracks that he knew so well. Keben let himself zone out, mind following the trails he had learned long ago, trails that lead to the world of dreams and visions where things rarely all that they seem to be.

 _Three ‘bots: two Hissi-form chasers and a Kyrii-form leader. The darkling shadow, leaping and breathing white fire. A strong sense that something more than the obvious was happening. A sense of place-time –_ tomorrow, three hours before sunset, at the crossing of 3113 and Doran. _A sense that someone is watching, with those deep blue eyes of the Eyrie attached._

Keben’s own eyes opened, and he found himself gasping for breath. The Zafara shoved himself upright and shook himself, forcing his body to acknowledge what _reality_ was. That dream had been too real. He had never felt anything like that before. Running a shaking hand over his eyes, he felt sweat under his fur. Shuddering, he stood. He wasn’t going to tell Proteus about this; he didn’t need to. But now that he knew, he was going to tell Sayang and Set what Proteus had asked him to say.

A smile flashed over the Zafara’s face, and he moved through the corridors at a run. The few others he passed stared after him. Keben could guess what they were thinking: he never moved quickly if he didn’t need to, so what would prompt him to do this? They would likely never find out for sure. The thought made him laugh, and as he turned the final corner to the training area, he was still smiling. The Kyrii he was looking for stood in the center of the room, shouting orders at everyone grouped up around her.

Watching her direct the groups was truly amazing. Flights and squads whirled and moved as one, changing direction at a signal that Keben could neither see nor hear. He was almost sorry he had to interrupt their training, but the message was more important. Raising a hand, he waved to the Kyrii. She glanced at him, blinked, and then called for Leo, her second-in-command, to take over. Jogging towards him, the Kyrii shoved the goggles she always seemed to be wearing up onto her forehead. “Keben! Why you here?”

Keben bowed to her with a smile. “A dream and Proteus.”

Almost instantly, the Kyrii sobered up. “Tell me.”

“Got a room where I won’t be telling all the curious ears?” Keben nodded at the squads.

The Kyrii laughed and turned to shout friendly profanity at the squads in general and Leo in particular. The Pteri leader just called right back at her, a grin on his face. Shaking her head, the Kyrii pointed at what looked like a weapons locker. “Come on. Nobody’s going to bother coming after us for quite some time.”

“Is that a good thing?” Keben asked, entering the room and closing the door behind him. As he’d suspected, blasters and swords lined the walls. “Sayang, Proteus wants Set’s plan put in motion.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Sayang ran her hands through her hair as she looked at him, messing up the ruddy locks even further. “He would never do that.”

Keben shook his head, leaning against a bare spot of wall. “I dreamed that there would be three people coming,” he said quietly. “A Kougra who was almost invisible against the earth, a black Draik who reminded me of you, and an Eyrie who I think is a Dreamer.”

Sayang closed her eyes, going still. “He thinks they’re the ones we need.”

“No,” Keben said, touching her shoulder gently. “I do.”

“We’re going to get them.”

Keben nodded.

“We’re going to get ourselves killed.”

Again he nodded.

“Proteus can be blasted crazy, sometimes.” Shaking her head in admiration, Sayang grabbed Keben’s wrist, looking at him with void-dark eyes. “Don’t tell Set. Tell one of her lieutenants. Then Set won’t—”

Taking Sayang’s hand in his, Keben squeezed it and cut her off. “I told Proteus that. He’s trusting Set not to do something stupid.”

“That’s not going to help.” Looking up at Keben, Sayang held herself completely still for a second, as if waiting for something. Keben didn’t say anything, just stared steadily back into her dark eyes. She closed them with a sigh. “Tell her I don’t want her to put herself in danger, no matter how much she trusts you.” Sayang’s voice was soft, almost inaudible. “We need her.”

Keben smiled, smoothing her hair. “I’ll tell her,” he said. “Doesn’t mean she’ll listen.”

“I know.” They stood there, the sounds of the training room the only disturbance to the peace of the moment. White fingers resting on Sayang’s shoulders, Keben sighed. “They’re wondering about us by now, you know.”

Sayang shrugged. “Does it matter? Don’t answer that,” she added. “Let’s go.” They reentered the large room quietly, only to find the squads assembled in front of them. Keben closed his eyes briefly. Of course. Sayang just laughed, stopping them and looking around. “Devin,” she said, “your squad is ragged. Janice, remember that when you’re at rest, weapons must be sheathed. Pirkos, what’s with that smirk?”

A green Hissi flushed, ducking his head. “Nothing, sir,” he mumbled.

Sayang grinned. “Good.” She glanced up at Keben. “You may as well go now. There’s nothing more boring than correcting all of these idiots.”

Keben bowed with a flourish, and as he walked out the door, he was almost certain he heard whistles from most, if not all, of the squads. Rolling his eyes, he set off to try and find Set. The Xweetok wouldn’t make fun of him, at least. No, she’d just wear him out, disobey everything he told her Proteus had said, and likely end up getting them all killed.

He sighed, turning into the main corridor. Finding Set was never easy. The Xweetok never stayed still for long, except possibly when she was sleeping. Rumour had it that either she sleepwalked or never slept, though, so even that wasn’t a certainty. Following her trail was possibly the most infuriating thing there was to do, and most people tried to track her down that way. Not Keben. Going to stand outside her typical meeting room, the Zafara waited, pacing back and forth in front of the door.

When Set finally did return, Keben grabbed her by the blue mane that made up at least half of her body. “Don’t yell at me for this,” he said, dropping the Xweetok before she clawed him. “Proteus sent me.”

Set tilted her head slightly, pausing for a moment before leaping into her meeting room. “Tell me.”

“I dreamed, and now he wants to enact your plan.” Keben followed her inside, still talking. “And you aren’t allowed to be the one to play bait. We need you too much.”

With a contemptuous flick of her tail, Set turned around to look at him. “Keben, I can take care of myself.”

“At a demonstration?” Keben shook his head. “Set, I know the plan as well as you do, but there’s only so much we can do to save you.”

“You dreamed, didn’t you?” Set grinned. “You’ll save me.”

Keben closed his eyes, rubbing his face with one hand. “Sayang says that she doesn’t want you throw yourself into harm’s way, even if you trust me that far. I agree with her, by the way.”

“And you two think you can get me to agree, just like that?” Set giggled, brushing her tail against Keben’s arm. “You’re silly.”

“Proteus said the same.”

Set stilled for a brief moment. “I’ll think about it.”

Smiling, Keben looked down at her. “That’s the best I’ll get from you, isn’t it?”

She nodded, looking like a child again for a second, her face entirely caught up with glee.

“Good luck, Set,” Keben said, turning. “You’ll need it.”

“What are you and Sayang doing?”

Keben paused at the door. “We’re retrieving them and saving whoever’s on the chopping block. Which is not going to be you,” he added forcefully. “It is _not_.”

Set stayed silent, but as Keben left, he could’ve sworn he heard a soft voice say “Good luck.”


	2. Falling Dusk

Tunnel hideouts were rarely comfortable, and this one was no exception. At least the floor was dry and they hadn’t needed to travel all night to get to it, though Keben half-wished they had. It would’ve made waiting less irritating. Sayang was tossing her blaster up into the air and catching it, over and over again, to pass the time. It was almost hypnotizing, in the flickering light of their lantern. As time wore on, Sayang switched from her blaster to her knife.

At that point, Keben spoke, breaking the silence. “Must you do that?”

Sayang gave him a scornful look. “Just ‘cause you can’t do it ya think I can’t?”

“Shut up with that, would you? You never had that much of an accent.”

“It’s fun, Keb. You’ve got to admit that.” The Kyrii stood smoothly, still tossing the knife from hand to hand. “And even if I never had that much of an accent, I can still fake it.”

Keben sighed. “You’re just going to get on my nerves. They probably won’t care.”

Smiling, Sayang turned to throw the knife at the wall. It clattered off the rock, landing softly on the ground. “I know that,” she said, bending to pick it up again. “Why you think I’m goin’ ta do it?”

“You’re an irritating little girl sometimes, you know.” Keben shook his head, but he was smiling right back at her. “What time is it?”

She glanced at her wrist-watch. “Time to go,” she said. “You remember the plan?”

“I made the plan.” Rising, Keben brushed dust off his cloak. “Of course I know it.”

“Gotcha.” Sayang darted off without waiting for him, grabbing a lantern as she did. Keben shook his head slightly, following at a more sedate pace. He didn’t have the same sort of stamina the warrior did, and there was enough time to get there, he hoped. His time-sense wasn’t the best, though he suspected he did better than Sayang. She had the watch, after all. Holding his lantern up, Keben followed the well-worn trails through the rock, letting his mind wander.

Almost predictably, his thoughts wandered to his dream. That black Eyrie had been lurking in his mind ever since he’d dreamed the time the three would be coming, with those bright blue eyes that always seemed to be looking into his soul. The Eyrie was almost certainly blind, but he could see. Keben was sure of that, just like he was sure that the Eyrie was the key, not the flashier Draik. It was bothersome to think about, but soon he’d be able to talk to them and get their measure from life, not from dreams.

Reaching the door that led to the streets, Keben paused to blow out his lantern and set it on a shelf next to the door. In near-darkness, he opened the door and let the sullen streetlights show his way. He closed the door behind him with a sigh. He never had liked Central, once he’d gotten a taste of what other places had to offer. Glancing at the cloudy skies, he shook his head and set off towards the intersection he had dreamed of. Sayang ran ahead of him, her hair flashing like bloody fire.

Shaking that thought from his head, Keben sped up, trying to catch Sayang. It was useless, of course, but she navigated better than he did. When the Kyrii stopped, Keben joined her. She was muttering curses, glancing around a corner. Keben peered over her shoulder, but just as quickly as he looked, he pulled back. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?” he asked quietly.

“The ‘bots showed up, then they started ta fight.” Sayang shrugged. “Darkling did, ‘least.”

“You get the Kougra and Draik,” Keben said. “I’ll bring the Eyrie and beat you there.”

“Na gonna happen.”

Keben smiled, pulling his cloak around him. There were some benefits to being a Dreamer, even if you discounted the dreams that gave them their name. Few people were around, just making this easier. Keben looked towards where the Draik was fighting three – now two – robots. “You can’t see me,” he said calmly. “I’m not here at all.” The words were directed to the robots, not the three they were after, though they’d still be affected by it.

The Kougra was half-faded into the stones, more frightened than anything else. Keben almost pitied him, save for the magic that allowed him to hide; that interested the Dreamer more than anything else. The Draik was, of course, fighting, using some odd white fire that nagged at his mind because it felt familiar, though Keben knew he’d never seen it before. And the Eyrie was looking straight at him.

Taking a step closer, Keben beckoned with one white hand. “You know me, just as I know you,” he said, quite sure of it. “Will you come with me?”

The Eyrie seemed to smile. He glanced at the Kougra and spread his wings. The Kougra didn’t notice. Keben found it amusing. The Eyrie was large enough for someone to ride, and yet the Kougra was too focused on the battle – only one robot left – to see anything else. Two beats of the Eyrie’s wings, and he had landed beside Keben. “What shall I call you?” the Eyrie asked softly. “Or do you not have a name?”

“My name is Keben Cian,” the Zafara said, turning. “And yours?”

“Invidere.”

Keben nodded, one hand drifting to the Eyrie’s black mane. “Come. Sayang will bring the others, and we will take you somewhere safe.” As his hand touched the Eyrie’s shoulder, Invidere stiffened. Keben almost pulled his hand back, but something – spite, or a sense of connection that wouldn’t go away – kept his hand there. After a moment, the Eyrie relaxed slightly. Not much, but enough. The pair began walking down the streets, swift and silent, the sounds of battle still coming from behind them.

Walking back to the tunnel door was almost a dream. The orange sky that had seemed so threatening when he first stepped out was now more like a blanket, smooth and sheltering. The blank walls that surrounded him, each a mirror image of the last, were nothing to him anymore, though they were normally a reason for him to avoid the suburbs of Central. Keben shivered. Why did merely touching the Eyrie make the whole world a dream?

The door that led to the tunnels was marked with a series of slender scratches in the upper right corner. The marks formed a star shape, a reminder of both what they fought against and for. Keben took his hand from the Eyrie’s shoulder reluctantly and opened the door. Even the brief loss of contact was enough to make him wish he’d never placed his hand there and known the peace it brought. “Come on,” he said, more sharply than he intended.

The Eyrie entered the dark room silently. Keben followed him and closed the door before he grabbed the lantern, but didn’t light it. Sayang had told him he liked dramatic entrances too much when he’d suggested this part, but she hadn’t argued with him. In the darkness, the only sound was their breath; in and out and in again. Keben closed his eyes, clenching his free hand into a fist. He wouldn’t touch the Eyrie again, he told himself, repeating the words with each breath.

Time moved in odd ways. Each second spent waiting for Sayang to arrive with the other two felt like a minute at least. Minutes stretched out, until the entire experience felt like it took at least an hour. Keben knew it’d only been a few minutes, yet knowing wasn’t everything. The door opened, ruddy light spilling in. Keben opened his eyes, stepping back into the shadows. The door closed, and Keben smiled. “Everyone here?” he asked.

“I got two of ‘em,” Sayang said. Keben sighed at the atrocious accent, but couldn’t bring himself to ruin her joke. “You got th’ other?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s go.”

Keben lit his lantern, shielding his eyes for a brief moment. When he looked again, everyone was there. He nodded slightly, glancing at Sayang. She grinned for a brief moment, and Keben wondered what it was she’d done. “Follow me,” he said, letting power flow through his voice and into the words. He turned, trusting that he would be followed without protest.

The Eyrie’s soft footsteps were right beside him, but he had to look back to see the Kougra. Brown blended into things easily, but the Kougra had power behind his camouflage. He was well-built, and his bright gold eyes watched everything; he had enough of a presence that he shouldn’t be able to blend into his surroundings well enough that Keben actually had to try to see him.

There was only so much silence he could stand. Sayang was behind him, almost certainly talking to the Draik, so she couldn’t fill the gap. Keben glanced back. “Who are you?”

“What?”

Keben slowed down, matching his pace to the Kougra’s. “Who are you?” he repeated. “It’s not that hard to answer, is it?”

The Kougra shrugged, not looking at him.

“His name is Coruscatus,” the Eyrie said. “He calls himself Coru.” The distaste with which Invidere said the name was audible. “The Draik is Azimuth, called Az.” Again, that distaste. Keben couldn’t help but smile at it.

The Kougra sighed. “Stop being so formal, Invi. But yes,” he said, addressing Keben, “I’m Coru. Who are you?”

“I’m Keben Cian, and the Kyrii who brought you here is Sayang.” Keben hesitated, and then said, “You don’t have any surnames?”

“We’re orphans,” Coru said quietly. “Where would we get them?”

Invidere’s beak clicked.

Keben glanced at the Eyrie, but his mouth stayed firmly shut. Keben ran a hand through his hair. “Sayang hates her surname,” he said to no-one in particular. “She avoids using it, but she still has one.”

Coru didn’t respond. Neither did Invidere. Keben focused on the passageways, following the twists and turns that led to the hideout they had agreed on. It wasn’t far, as he measured things, but to the newcomers, he suspected it would be longer than they thought before they reached the hideout. Moving more quickly now, the Zafara let Coru fall behind. He wasn’t concerned about the Kougra. It was Invidere, who stayed by his side as he moved forward, he thought about.

After a time, the Eyrie broke the silence. “Why were you there?”

Keben glanced at him, surprised. “I dreamed you.”

“Why were you there?”

“Because I dreamed you,” Keben repeated. “Do I need another reason?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re a dreamer too.” Keben paused, biting his lip. “Right?”

“I dream, yes. Is that odd?” Invidere asked, looking up at Keben.

If he hadn’t been leading them to the hideout, Keben would have stopped and stared at Invidere. As it was, he just stared. “What sort of place do you come from?”

“What place is this?” Invidere shrugged his wings slightly. “I cannot compare them without knowing.”

“One where magic is almost gone,” Keben said softly. “One where Dreamers are revered for their ability. There are few of us, I think, and even I don’t know where the others are.”

“If there are others.”

“Yes.”

They were both silent for another length of time, passing through more of the endless tunnels. Then Invidere broke it, softly speaking. “We have magic. Sloth is defeated, trapped inside a charm by magic. There is peace. That is the world we come from.”

“Our past,” Keben whispered, taken aback. “That’s where you’re from. How?”

Invidere lifted his black wings in a shrug. “I do not know.”

Keben accepted that, mind already whirling with what little the Eyrie had said. It was a dream, yes, but it was a dream that had been shattered a hundred years ago and replaced by a constant state of dread. Sloth had taken over the world quietly, replacing key people on the space station and Kreludor, launching small but nasty attacks on Neopia. Then he’d taken the Faeries and destroyed Shenkuu City. Everything went downhill from there and led to a hundred years of increasing technology, of smog and electronics and domination.

And if the rumours were true, the Ruki who had led Sloth’s invasion still lived. Keben shook his head, turning the final corner into a small room. Keben sighed and his lantern down on a small outcropping, sitting down next to it and coiling his tail forward around his feet. Invidere sat beside him, dark and quiet. Coru hesitated for a moment before sitting down by the wall, further away. Keben didn’t say anything. None of them did as they waited for Azimuth and Sayang to join them.

When Sayang entered the room, she glanced at them, shook her head, and sat down on the opposite side of the cave, placing her lantern on another outcropping. Az sat next to her, wings pulled tight to his sides. Keben grinned slightly, amused.

“So,” Sayang said. “Wha’ now?”

“They need an explanation,” Keben said. “This one—” he nodded at Invidere “—says that they’re from another time. A time in our past.”

Sayang leaned forward, eyes fastened intently on Coru’s. “Tell me,” she said.

Invidere opened his beak to speak, but Keben waved his hand, cutting the Eyrie off. “She asked him,” he said. “Not you.”

The Eyrie glared at Keben, but didn’t say anything.

Coru sighed, closing his eyes. “Okay, okay. This started when a merchant caravan I'm friendly with came by. They gave me that sunburst that Invi’s wearing. He somehow activated it, and it brought us here. Then those robots got us and you know the rest.” He opened his eyes again, looking at Sayang. “Happy now?”

“Yup.” She cocked her head, obviously thinking. “Keben, did you dream ‘em?”

“Why else would we have been there?” Keben said, amused. It was a charade, but they had to go through the motions, even if was silly. “Really, Sayang. You know me better than that.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Sayang flicked a hand, brushing the comment away. “You explain, Keben, since you’re th’ dreamer.”

“What’s a dreamer?” Coru asked. “And how would you dream us?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Keben shook his head, laughing inside. “I’m a dreamer. I dream, and my dreams are true. Oh, I can get dreams that don’t seem true at the time, but they are always true. And years ago, I dreamed of you. A dark Draik, a shadowed Eyrie, and an earthen Kougra. I dreamed that they’d return the sun and drive away the shadows.” It wasn’t the full story, nor the full explanation, but it would do for now.

Invi reached up to touch the pendent on his chest. “The sun. In a symbolic sense?”

Keben hesitated. He hadn’t figured that out, despite trying. “Not entirely,” he said, just to be on the safe side. “But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you need to know the history of this time. And that,” Keben said, “is for her to tell.”

“Must I?” Sayang sighed, glancing at Keben. Keben nodded slightly, and Sayang dropped the accent. “Fine. Roughly one hundred years ago, Sloth launched an attack. It didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary at the time, but when it lasted over a year, we started to get worried. On the second anniversary of his first attack, Sloth delivered his ultimatum. He had Fyora captive, and he wouldn’t let her go unless Neopia surrendered.”

Az sat up. “How’d he get Fyora in the first place?”

Sayang ran a hand through her hair. “It’s not in the legend. Anyway, the many lands gathered together in a great council, the greatest Neopia has ever known, and they voted on what to do. Neopia Central, Altador, Meridell, and Brightvale didn’t want to give in, but in the end, they loved Fyora too much. They voted to let Sloth take Neopia.”

“Idiots,” Invidere muttered. “Utter idiots.”

“Don’t interrupt,” Keben said softly. “Listen.”

Sayang ignored both of them. “Tyrannia advocated war against Sloth. Shenkuu was quiet, not knowing enough of the world to truly contribute. Sakhmet and Qasala were united and willing to give up Neopia. The desert had lived apart from the rest of the world before, and was willing to do so again.”

“Even for another thousand years?” Az asked.

“Be quiet, please,” Sayang said. Keben could tell she was annoyed, but he doubted any of the others could. “Anyway. The Haunted Woods didn’t care. They were the ones who had the least connection with Fyora, after all. Maraqua and Terror Mountain were both hoping that they were remote enough that to escape Sloth’s wrath.”

“Even more idiotic.” Invidere shook his head.

“Shut up,” Keben muttered.

Invidere glanced at him. “No.”

Sayang gave the Eyrie a nasty look. “It was the islands that hesitated the most. They were cut off from the mainland, after all, though not as much as Maraqua. In the end, they gave in, and it was decided that they would accede to Sloth’s demands.”

“Wait, what about Kreludor and Faerieland?” Az asked. 

Sayang glared at him and Az shrunk back a bit. Keben held back his laughter. “Kreludor had already been taken over by Sloth, and Faerieland was in chaos. Sorry I skipped that. Anyway, as I was saying, Sloth handed Fyora over to the Faeries, but with her, he brought a brigade of robots, much like those who patrol now, but less... advanced? Fluid? It doesn’t matter. They had Faerieland quarantined, and they’ve had it quarantined ever since.”

Coru shook his head. “And nobody did anything about that?”

“Shut up,” Sayang growled. “They spread everywhere, after that. Using Faerieland as a base of operations, they took over the rest of Neopia, one area at a time. Neopia Central, Brightvale and Meridell, those were the first to fall. Altador took longer, because of the guardians that lived there. Shenkuu lasted only a few days longer than Altador. Tyrannia and Terror Mountain fell as one, fighting to the death.”

“Idiots!” Invidere said. “Why are they such idiots?”

“Shut up!” Sayang hissed, glaring at everyone. “I will hit the next person to talk.” She smiled nastily. “And that will not be pretty. As I was going to say, the islands were next. They were cut off from all supplies but what they had on their own. Siege tactics. The Haunted Woods fell during that siege. Maraqua and the desert lasted the longest.

“There are still desert nomads out there, it’s said. Keben’s dreamed them.” She glanced at the Zafara, smiling. “And I believe him. And now that Sloth’s taken over the world, he’s renamed it. The Grand Empire, he calls it, and so we are supposed to as well.

“Now, Coru, you asked if anyone did anything about Faerieland’s quarantine. There have always been those who resist Sloth. This is our center, just as it is Sloth’s capital on Neopia. Neopia Central, it was called. Now, it is simply called Central. Those of us who resist Sloth’s reign have gained the name Traitor Republic. I’m still not exactly sure why.” Sayang shook her head. “I find it rather stupid, but anyway, that’s everything. Can I shut up for the rest of this, Keben?”

“Yes, yes.” Keben waved a hand absently. “Any questions?”

Az perked up. “Yeah. Tell me, what’re we supposed to do now?”

“Well,” Keben said, rubbing his chin. “That’s the thing. My dream... it’s dark, but there’s light at the end. I know how it starts, and how it ends. The thing is, I don’t know the middle.” He smiled, looking around at them. “But you will. I know that. You will know the middle, when it comes time to act it out.” He stood, striding to the center of the room, looking at each of them in turn. “You, Azimuth, you’re the catalyst. Coru, you’re the planner. And you, Invidere, you are the dreamer. Just like me.”

“Just like you,” Invidere said in a sing-song, rather mocking, tone. He stood, voice darkening. “I am not like you. I am not someone who uses others. I cannot influence others the way you do. Your voice is a song, and it sings through the world, changing the patterns that lie there.”

Coru glared at the Eyrie. “Your words have just as much effect as his. Maybe a different one, but it’s still there,” he said, speaking before Keben could defend himself.

“Shut up,” Invidere said, ears turned back and tail twitching. “I want to hear what he has to say.”

Keben sank down to the ground, not looking up. “I am a dreamer. You are a dreamer. In that, we are alike. The rest,” he whispered, “is meaningless.” Half of his actions were an act. He wanted Invidere to see the truth. But Invidere’s words still hurt, even if he hadn’t meant them to.

“How?” Invidere’s fur fluffed, his tail lashing as he paced, staring straight at Keben. “Everything has meaning. Dreams are merely a part of it all. Dreams,” he hissed, “are the meaningless part.”

“Never,” Keben said as he rose, staring into Invidere’s blindfolded eyes. “That can never be true.” He turned back to the entrance, walking into the darkness as quickly as he could. He refused to let any of them see the pain that Invidere had filled him with. Refused to let them see the tears that were in his eyes. Refused to let them see how much he wished to be able to speak with power and have the Eyrie accept the truth. And even if Invidere was the dreamer that the Republic needed, it wasn’t right for someone he barely knew to be able to hurt him more deeply than the people he’d known all his life.

He didn’t have Sayang’s instinctive memory for places and direction, but he’d memorized the tunnel systems around the Republic’s headquarters long ago. He smiled in the darkness, pushing away his pain. He’d given them their current headquarters, after all. Being the closest thing to a noble there was in Central had its benefits. Turning back towards the cave he’d left them in, the Zafara hesitated. With a shake of his head, he took a different tunnel. He’d come back for them when it was time to leave.

Remembering what they’d be leaving for, Keben cursed under his breath. Set had almost certainly set things up so that she’d be there, one way or another. He just hoped she hadn’t arranged for herself to be the victim. After all, if he was wrong...

Keben pushed the thought away, sitting down in a lonely tunnel. Wrapping his cloak around him, he settled down to wait for the long hours to pass.


	3. Moonrise

Keben rose, wincing slightly. He’d sat vigils like that before, and he’d never really liked them. The stone of the tunnels was rarely comfortable for long periods, especially when one had to sleep on it. Retracing his steps, the Zafara made his way to the cave where the rest waited. Leaning in through the doorway, he glanced around. “Come on,” he said harshly. “It’s time to go. Sayang, you lead them. I’ll meet you there.” He didn’t wait to see what they’d do. He simply left, not even bothering to light the lantern he’d grabbed.

“Why, Cian?” Invidere’s quiet voice came from behind him, his words filling the darkness. “You had no need to leave, no need to say what you did. Why?”

“Because I had to.” Keben didn’t look back at the Eyrie. “Why did you say what you did?”

“I believed.”

The simple words almost made Keben stop, almost made him turn and shout at Invidere. But instead, he just kept going, focusing on the patterns of the tunnels he passed, one hand lightly running across the side of the tunnel he was in. Eventually, he spoke again. “What do you believe now?”

“I believe that magic exists, that the Faeries set up some system that we do not understand, and that it is impossible to know everything. What do you believe, Keben Cian?”

Keben pulled his cloak more closely around him. “I don’t know what I believe anymore,” he admitted. “But I Dreamed you, and you have the power to Dream. I can feel that power easily.” He didn’t mention that he could also feel a deeper power, one that he couldn’t quite understand. And it wasn’t the pendant that Invidere wore that emitted the power, though the pendant shone as well. It was Invidere himself. “Do you believe me when I say that you can dream true?”

“Yes.” One of Invidere’s wings brushed lightly across Keben’s back. “I believe you now, Cian. It means that the past makes sense.”

“It didn’t before?” Keben asked, ignoring Invidere’s close presence as best he could.

The Eyrie sighed. “I knew things that I had no way of knowing. I could never explain how I knew them. I knew that we would be leaving our homes. I almost warned Coruscatus, but if I had warned him, this never would have come to pass. And I knew it had to.”

Keben reached out, grasping Invidere’s mane. “If you already dream...”

“It makes it easier on you, correct?”

“Yes. It does.” Keben sighed, leading Invidere out of the tunnels and into the city. The alleyway they emerged into was bright enough to hurt Keben’s eyes at first, but by the time they were in the mass of people heading for the demonstration square, the light wasn’t Keben’s problem. Keeping Invidere from getting noticed by the robot guards was.

Keben wasn’t sure if the guards would have a search pattern for the black Eyrie from the fight last night, but it was better to assume they would and be too careful. Leading Invidere into the midst of the crowd, Keben forced whoever was in front of him to give way, ignoring the glares he was given. It was the city. Everyone was used to the push and shove that allowed those better-off to get ahead in life.

They probably looked like a noble and his bodyguard, Keben thought, amused. A slender white Zafara and a large black Eyrie. Even if Keben wasn’t dressed in his full noble outfit, the cloak was enough to say that he was above average, and Invidere didn’t need any weapons to look intimidating. “How close do we need to get?” Keben asked Invidere, ignoring the crowd around them.

Invidere simply shrugged.

Keben laughed, leaning against the Eyrie. “Here’s good, then. We’ll have a good view of...” His voice trailed off as he stared up at the platform. A mutant Lupe stood there, a guard on either side. A blue Xweetok was bound to poles, each limb individually bound so that she couldn’t escape. “I told her not to do this,” Keben said, exasperated. “Proteus should have been able to stop her.”

“What are you talking about?” Invidere asked, head tilting slightly. “Or who?”

“Setia. The bane of anyone trying to get something done in a way that isn’t just so.” Keben shook his head, smiling despite his annoyance. “She’s brilliant, but thinks that the rest of us can’t do anything right. Which she’s often right about, I admit, but not about this. It doesn’t take any amount of brilliance to get caught.” Keben’s hands clenched as he stared at the ragged figure above them. “I am going to kill her for this.”

“Not literally, I hope.”

Keben sighed. “No, not literally. But I told her to send someone else. We can’t replace her if something goes wrong.”

“Nothing will go wrong.” Invidere’s deep voice held the assurance of someone who knew they were speaking the truth. Keben looked at him for a moment, about to say something, but then the mutant Lupe began to speak.

“Friends, allies, and registered guests,” the Lupe said, his voice echoing through the suddenly silent plaza, “we gather here today to affirm Sloth’s dominion over the known world.”

The Lupe paused, probably for dramatic effect. “This Xweetok, who calls herself Setia—”

“Set!” the Xweetok yelled, cutting the Lupe off. Stifled laughter rushed through the crowd. Keben smiled slightly, but every muscle in his body was tense.

“Gag the prisoner,” the Lupe said, sounding bored. “Setia has proven herself to be an enemy to the Grand Empire of Our Lord Sloth. In accordance to the laws set down in the First Year of Our Lord Sloth’s reign, she will be... disposed of.” The Lupe bared his teeth in what could almost be called a smile. “And you are here to witness it! Long live Lord Sloth!”

The crowd roared. Keben glanced back towards the entrance they’d used, one hand fidgeting with the clasp of his cloak. “They’re here,” he muttered. “They’ve got to be here.”

A black shape leapt up from the crowd. The roars of the crowd turned to shouts of outrage. Keben laughed as Az’s voice echoed over the plaza. The Draik was asking for this. It would be fine. Set’s plan, however insane, would work. Az dove towards the crowd, all the flighted robots in the area chasing him. Keben winced at the screams of the crowd and the entirely too loud warnings the robots were transmitting.

Az pulled up right in front of a wall, leaving the robots to smash into it as he looped towards the platform. As he dove, Keben shook his head. “He’s going to get himself killed.”

“He is more resilient that you believe,” Invidere said. “Watch him.”

Keben watched. Az shot the mutant Lupe off the platform with a blast of nearly white fire. Another blast destroyed the remaining robots. The fire didn’t look at all controlled, but it looked very hungry. When Az blew tongues of flame at the chains holding Set to the platform, Keben winced, sure that he was going to burn her, but the white fire didn’t touch the Xweetok at all.

“Let’s go,” Keben said, turning towards where Sayang and Coru likely waited. Keben began walking, almost pulling Invidere along beside him. He moved straight through everyone, ignoring the shouts and curses that followed. Keben didn’t bother apologizing. Nobody cared about apologies anymore, especially not in a situation like this one. When Keben caught sight of Sayang’s long coat and the sun flashing on her goggles, he grinned, running to join her.

“’bout time,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Keben laughed, beginning to run. The maze of alleyways wasn’t far away, and he trusted Set to lead Az back to them before then. As it was, he had enough to do simply dodging the larger clusters that scattered across the plaza. Just past a Grarrl, Set and Az almost ran into them. Keben gave them a glance, shouting “This way,” but not pausing to let them get their bearings.

Sayang had better endurance that he, Keben knew. Set had more energy. But Sayang hadn’t grown up in the city and Set never had enough time to explore. Sayang was still better than most at navigating, but Keben knew more paths than he cared to count to get from any given place to any other, simply because of all the maps he’d been able to study. Weaving through the alleys, Keben finally found the door he was looking for. He stopped, opening the door to let everyone in.

Set entered first, keeping Coru with her. Keben watched the glow of her lantern move on as Sayang and Az followed them. Only then did Invidere enter. Keben followed him, feeling for a lantern in the entryway. There wasn’t one. Keben grinned, closing the door and grabbing Invidere’s mane. As he began walking, Keben drifted off into his thoughts, barely keeping track of how far from the glow of Sayang’s lantern they were. When light finally brought his mind back, he stopped Invidere. “How easy is it to surprise them?”

“How distracted are they?”

Keben nodded, stepping forward on light feet. Invidere followed, completely silent. In the light up ahead, he could see the other four. None of them looked completely sure of what was going on. Keben smiled, pausing just outside the light. “Come,” he said softly, passing them. Proteus’s cave was just ahead. The light streaming out from it was a glorious sight.

Pausing at the entrance to let the others catch up, Keben bowed. He knew Proteus was in there, whether or not the mutant Scorchio showed himself. “Proteus, I present to you those whom I dreamed would return sunlight to this realm: Invidere, the shadowed Eyrie who is my reflection. Azimuth, the dark Draik who mirrors Sayang. And Coruscatus, the earthen Kougra who is matched by Set.” He turned back to those he had just named. “And to you, may I present Proteus, the leader of the Traitor Republic.”


	4. Starlit Night

Set and Sayang pushed Coru and Az forward into the grand room. Invidere entered the cave on his own, Keben at his side. Looking for Proteus, Keben found him about halfway up the wall, in an alcove that allowed him to see every part of the cave. Keben waited for Proteus to speak, as well as for those he had brought to realize that the Scorchio leader of the Traitor Republic was a mutant.

“Keben,” Proteus said, “tell me about these people.” He looked down from his perch, studying them. “One of them seems to be blind.”

“Yes,” Invidere said, “I am. And I dislike being spoken about as if I were not in the room.”

Keben laid a hand on the Eyrie’s shoulder, sighing. Proteus had a habit of doing that. Not intentionally, of course, but just by virtue of being absent-minded.

“My apologies, Invidere,” Proteus said mildly. “I shall not do it again.” He rose, gliding down to where they stood. Coru stepped back as he landed, and Proteus shook his head. “Yes, I am a mutant. Yes, Sloth made me what I am. But what I am is a leader, a leader of those in the rebellion. My goal right now is to understand you, utilize you, and forge a new way to live. So tell me, what powers do you hold?”

Following the direction of the Scorchio’s gaze, Keben smiled. Coru didn’t seem at all impressed. Or at all like he wanted to answer. Az, however, seemed far too amused by this for his own good. Keben closed his eyes for a moment when the Draik began to laugh.

It did break Coru’s silence, however. “I’m sorry about Az,” the Kougra said. “It’s just—”

“There is no need to apologize,” Proteus said. “So long as you speak, and tell me what I wish to know, all will be fine.” He smiled, the expression changing his face to what it must’ve looked like before he was transmogrified. “Would you like to go first, Coruscatus?”

“I—” Coru stopped, sighed, and started again. “What do you want to know, anyway?”

“Start with your powers, that sort of thing.” Proteus shrugged. “Along with whatever else you think we might need to know.”

“What do you consider powers?” Coru asked. “The others have more magic than I do.” Seeing Proteus’s mouth open, Coru cut him off with the wave of a paw. “Though yes, that is more than most people here have, it seems.”

“What do you posses?” Proteus asked, far more patient than Keben would have bothered being.

“As I said, not much.” Coru bit his lip, thinking. “I’m earth and nature. Az is darkness and light. Invi is just... himself. A dreamer, Keben called him, and I’m inclined to agree with that. He sees, but he’s blind.” Coru paused and shook his head. “But you asked about me. I know nature in every degree it is possible to know it. That’s probably not much use here, from what I’ve seen, though. The only true magic I have is the ability to fade from sight, to blend in with what’s around me. It’s easier when the surroundings match my fur, which is why being in a forest is nice. Lots of browns there.”

Keben stared at the unassuming brown Kougra. He had not seen any signs of power around Coru, but now that he looked, truly trying to see the Kougra as he was. But all he saw was brown fur and golden eyes, a perfectly normal person in a perfectly normal body.

Az’s explanation of his powers brought Keben’s attention back to the rest of the group, however. “Darkness and light,” the Draik said. “Balance. My form is the darkness, my magic, the light. And fire.” Az grinned. “Lots of fire. Also got a chain reaction from the fire thing that seems to let me tune into electricity. Useful with techno stuff.”

Proteus nodded. “I’m sure it is,” he said, very politely. “But what do you mean by the first part? The darkness and light.”

“Eh. Nothing much. My fire is white-hot, when I want it to be.” Az paused, looking thoughtful for once. “I think I could do other stuff. Gindara said so, anyway, but I’ve never really cared to test it, since she also said that it’d be dangerous to everything around me.”

“Good. Very, very, good. Invidere?”

Keben bit the inside of his cheek. Despite the conversation he’d had with the Eyrie in the tunnel, he still wasn’t sure what Invidere would say.

“I am as Coruscatus named me,” Invi said softly. “A dreamer, a seer, a path for other powers to take. That, not my own ability, was how we arrived in this world. The words to activate the sunburst came to my mouth, making me speak them.”

“Do you have anything to add?” Proteus asked, looking behind Coru to where Keben, Sayang, and Set stood.

“Yes,” Keben said, crossing his arms. “He’s got the Sight.”

“Invidere?”

“Of course.” Keben grinned suddenly. “And Darkling over there is a perfect match for Sayang, even if she won’t admit it.”

Sayang glared at him. “Hey! Shut up, you!”

Keben laughed, seeing the Kyrii blush almost as red as her hair, but refrained from taunting her any more.

“No fighting,” Proteus said, though he sounded amused. “Now take these three and let them rest. Explain, if you wish, what we’ve been planning, what we want them to help us with.” He turned and leapt off the ground, soaring back up to the perch where he had been when they entered.

Before Sayang could come and hit him, Keben touched Invidere’s shoulder, leading the Eyrie out of the room. Weaving absently through the corridors, Keben didn’t bother talking to Invidere. If the Eyrie wished to ask him something, he would. If he didn’t want to ask something, he wouldn’t. As it was, Keben simply wanted to find a quiet place to talk to Invidere. And not his room. There would be time enough for sleep later. Assuming they did sleep, of course. Keben suspected it’d be entirely possible for them to stay up all night just by talking to each other about whatever came to mind.

When they emerged in the Republic’s garden, Keben was caught off-guard. He hadn’t been planning to take Invidere to it. The scent of earth, deep and cool and fresher than anything in the city but the too-uncommon rain, filled Keben’s nose. He sighed, carefully stepping around the young plants. “You know, I keep forgetting about the stars. They’re so far away, and in the city they’re practically invisible.”

Invidere followed him, avoiding each sprout, no matter how small. “I have never seen them at all.”

“Ask Sayang about them sometime, then.” Keben leaned against a young tree with tiny fruit already growing on it. “She grew up in the desert. The stars shine so clearly out there. It’s amazing, compared to the tiny specks we get here.” He looked up at the darkening sky, clouded over and dusty gray. “When we see them at all.”

Invidere sat down beside him, one wing almost touching Keben’s side. “What do they look like? Azimuth and Coruscatus have never said.”

Keben glanced at the Eyrie. Soft moonlight, filtered through the clouds, gave his black feathers a silver tint. The red and gold band Invidere wore to cover his eyes was a lighter gray, as were the golden wraps around his legs. “The stars look like dots of white in the blackness of the sky,” Keben said softly, looking back up at the clouds. “Each one has its place and never moves from it. Looking closely at them, you can see patterns. A dancer or a spaceship or a sword, perhaps. It’s like looking for shapes in the clouds.” Keben caught himself, flushing. “You’ve never done that either, though.”

“I understand the principles, however.” Invidere turned towards Keben, a wing brushing against him. “It is like, yet unlike, finding the patterns in auras that mark individuals.”

“Auras?” Keben stared at Invidere. “Those are metaphysical clouds around bodies, right?”

“That explanation suffices. Why?”

“You see them.” Kneeling on the ground, Keben grabbed Invidere’s shoulder, staring him approximately in the eyes. “I haven’t heard of anyone who could see them. Until now, I thought they were just speculation.”

“They are not.”

Wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves. Keben smiled. “What do I look like, to your eyes?” he whispered. “And the others?”

The Eyrie flicked one wing. “Azimuth is fire, bright and pure. Not red-gold, but black and white, laughing and dancing but strong and steady. He burns with energy. Coruscatus is a deep brown, nearly the same shade as the earth itself, but he is shot through with golden sparks. Quiet energy, a hum of life, resonates through him.” Invidere looked up at the sky, his tail flicking from side to side. “You are blue-white, intense, dancing, covered with golden sparks. You feel like ice and lightning when you touch me, a rush of power that I do not understand. It chills and warms all at once. It makes my fur prickle and makes it difficult for me to pay attention to aught else.”

The undertones to Invidere’s words sent a chill down Keben’s spine. Even more so because he understood them. Standing, Keben turned away from the Eyrie. “Come. We can talk of this tomorrow. Proteus will gather us in a meeting in the morning. I do not wish to be there without enough sleep.”

Invidere followed him without a word, keeping close to his side. Keben kept his gaze straight ahead, not daring to think about, let alone look at, the dark Eyrie of his dreams.


	5. Midnight Sun

Breakfast was possibly the most awkward affair Keben had had in a long time. He and Invidere ate in silence, neither quite looking at the other. After breakfast, Keben led the way through the nearly-empty corridors to Proteus’s meeting room. Given a choice, Keben would’ve eaten with Set and Sayang and traded insults with them over the silliest of things, but he didn’t see either of them until he reached the meeting room.

Everyone was already there. It was astonishing. Keben led Invidere to the last two open seats, sitting next to Proteus and letting Invidere be next to Coru. Leaning back in his chair, Keben waited for Proteus to officially begin the meeting.

Which he did in a typically roundabout way. “Everyone here?” Proteus asked.

“O’ course we are,” Sayang said, breaking off her conversation with Azimuth. “Y’ told us t’ be here on time, an’ so we are.”

“Formalities, Sayang,” Proteus said, amused. “And now that we have satisfied them, shall we begin?”

Keben nodded. He wanted the meeting over with as soon as possible so that he could study auras. There had to be information on it somewhere.

“Good,” Proteus said, his voice more serious now. “Now, has anyone not been filled in on the basic plan?”

Nobody moved. Keben grinned. He hadn’t exactly explained it to Invidere, but the Eyrie was smart enough to have figured it out already.

Proteus nodded sharply. “Set, lead the meeting. You know the plan as well as I do, if not better.”

“’kay.” There was a soft thud as Set leapt up onto the table, blue mane fluffed. “You know why we’re gathered here. We just need your help to find the best ways to use your abilities when we assault Sloth’s forces in Faerieland. Right now, our plan goes like this: Sayang, aided by Azimuth, will lead the assault. This is the key to everything. If the assault doesn’t succeed, the entire plan fall into dust. You will need to take care of Sloth’s robots. I don’t care what you do to them, so long as they’re out of the way.”

She paused, looking around. Nobody interrupted her, to Keben’s surprise.

With a nod, Set resumed speaking, pacing back and forth on the table. “Once we’ve gotten the signal that the robots are taken care of, Corus and I will lead the second wave to secure Faerieland’s borders, while Sayang and Azimuth continue deeper in and begin freeing the Faeries. Keben and Invidere will be leading the support troops. The healers, the dreamers, that sort of thing. We don’t want any of them to get hurt. They will also guard the base, to ensure that it doesn’t get taken, no matter what.”

Set stopped, looking around. “Any questions?”

“I’ve got one,” Az said, leaning forward. “What happens if there’re more of them than we thought, and you need to bring in the backup early? How do we signal you?”

“You’re th’ tech-boy!” Sayang’s voice rang out over any reply Set might have made, and the fiery Kyrii punched Az’s shoulder. “We got what you’d call Virtupets tech. Now, it’s pretty obsolete, but it still works fine. Comm units. We don’t have enough for ev’ryone, but we’ve got enough for ev’ry leader an’ their subordinates.”

“What are we supposed to be doing?” Invidere said. Keben looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected the Eyrie to speak. “You say that we are to guard this place, but also that we are to be in control of the healers. Should not the healers be with you, Setia?”

“Set,” the Xweetok said softly.

If Invidere heard her annoyance, he ignored it. “As you said, you lead the support troops. You will be close enough to the battle for the healers to be useful, which I suspect they will not be if we keep them back here. The dreamers and the other noncombatants? Of course they stay back. I will not argue that. But Setia, does that not make sense?”

“Stop calling me Setia. And it does make sense.” Set paused. “This is probably the result of the plan being changed too much in a short amount of time. Anything else?”

“Yes,” Invidere said. “How will you know where the Faeries are kept? It is not the sort of thing Sloth would let the people know.”

“We don’t know. We’re hoping that they can be founded fairly easily, though.”

“I have a solution to that. Let me come with your group, Setia. I—”

Before he could continue, Set growled. Keben grinned as the tiny blue Xweetok leapt onto Invidere’s back. “My name,” Set growled, “is Set. Not Setia. Never Setia. Set.”

“Back off, Set.” Keben said, sighing. “He always calls people by their full names, even when they would prefer otherwise. It’s part of his being.”

Set hissed. “That doesn’t mean I need to like it.”

“Then explain to him while you dislike that name.” Keben rested a hand on Invidere’s shoulder. “And please get off of him. It’s not very nice.”

Setia jumped off, though not very nicely. “I’m not explaining,” she said, rather childishly. “Just stop calling me that, please.”

Invidere sighed. “Since I must, I will shorten your name, but Setia still has a more beautiful sound.”

“I still prefer Set. Now, what were you saying?”

“That I have the ability to sense auras.” Invidere smiled slightly. “I cannot move around as easily while doing so, however. But I’m sure that I can get a guide.”

Keben leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, sighing. “Set, before you declare someone to be his guide, I’m willing to take that role.”

“As you wish.” Set paused. “Anything else?”

“How large are their forces?” Sayang asked, her voice crisp and clear.

“We aren’t sure, but last time we checked, they had ten patrols of twenty spread across the airspace and a fairly large force on the clouds themselves. The patrols may have changed, however, so we must be wary.”

“Where will we be waiting?” Coru asked, tension in his voice.

“Faerieland should be floating over the desert, more or less. We’ll wait with some of the nomads.” Sighing, Set glanced around the table again. “That everything? Okay. Get ready. We’re moving out tomorrow morning.” She leapt off the table, her paws barely making any noise as the others began to talk.

Keben rose with Invidere, lightly resting a hand on the Eyrie’s shoulder. It stood out starkly, white on black. Keben pulled his gaze away, walking out of the room without any noise. The others talked. Or, in Az and Sayang’s case, slowly raised their voices to shouts. Why they were discussing a duel to the death, Keben couldn’t figure out, but at least it fit their personalities. He almost wanted to speak with Invidere, break the silence that lay between them like a whisper-thin piece of ice, but couldn’t bring himself to.

The silence suited them. It was an odd feeling, to take comfort in knowing that no words needed to be spoken, and thus none would. Most spoke, even through that feeling. His sister had. Cole and Connor had that silence with each other, but never with him. And even Sayang chose to talk of the war, rather than be silent and at piece. Letting his feet lead the way, it took Keben until they were almost at his room to understand where they were going. He almost turned away from his door, wanting to return to the garden. But there would be people there now, and his room was a place they could be alone.

Inside, Keben lifted his hand from Invidere’s shoulder, sitting down on his bed as Invidere lay on the pile of mats and cushions that coated the floor. Keben almost couldn’t bring himself to speak, but he chose to shatter the silence anyway. “That was an interesting conversation.”

“All conversations are interesting, in some way or another,” Invidere said, raising his head to look towards Keben. “Some are just more interesting than others.”

“I was talking about the one Azimuth and Sayang were having as we walked out.” Keben shrugged. He hadn’t exactly given Invidere any clues to what he was talking about.

“Oh. Yes.” Invidere shook his head. “That was odd, even for Azimuth.”

“Or Sayang, for that matter.” Keben sighed, leaning back against the wall. “Death. Competition. Neither of those are things for the dreamer.” He paused, looking back at the Eyrie. “Why did you want to go in search of the Faeries? You don't need to, after all.”

“I should.” Invidere hesitated for a moment. “I can find them more easily than anyone else.”

“That still doesn't mean you need to risk yourself. You're blind.”

“Sort of,” Invidere said. “Not completely, except in sight.”

“And sight is what most people think of.” Keben sighed, changing the subject. “Why did you keep calling Set by her full name, even after she corrected you?”

“It's her name,” Invidere said. “Yes, her preference is to not use it, but even so, it is hers.”

“That's rather mean.”

“Not in my opinion.”

“You don't like anyone, do you?”

“Not so,” Invidere said softly. “I like you.”

Keben blinked, replaying the conversation in his head. Then he looked down at Invidere. “You like me.”

“Yes.” The Eyrie rose, stepping towards him. “Is that unexpected?”

“I don’t know,” Keben admitted. Running a hand through his blue-gray hair, the Zafara suddenly laughed. “You were talking about lightning last night, though. You’re kinda like that, to me. When I first met you, first touched you, the world was a dream. All but you. Is that what you mean by lightning and ice, Invi?”

“Don’t call me that,” Invidere said absently. “In a way, it is. In another, it is not.”

“Then what did you mean?” Keben sat up, grabbing Invidere’s shoulders. “I don’t know what to think of you anymore, Invi. All I know is that you’re a whirlwind and I can’t keep my footing anymore.”

“That is a good way to put it.” Invidere pulled off his blindfold, looking straight at the Zafara. “Look into my eyes, Cian. Tell me what you see there, Dreamer.”

Keben looked into Invidere’s deep blue eyes, looking at the point where blue and black merged together, where day truly turned to night, not just dusk. In that point, that corona where power and truth touched, he saw something that scared him more than he thought it would. Trust deeper than trust had any right to be. Affection so deeply seated it couldn’t be budged. Loyalty of the heart and soul. Love.

Pulling himself away from the depths of Invidere’s eyes, Keben shivered. “I— I—” He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “In a way, I think I love you too.”

Invidere smiled. “I thought so.”


	6. Coming Dawn

Leaving Central was always an interesting proposition, and it became much more interesting when one had to move an army without being seen. Keben sat in Set’s room, watching the diminutive Xweetok order everyone around. Invidere was somewhere; probably the library. Keben had taken him there as a way to get the Eyrie off his tail, and it’d worked better than he’d hoped. Invidere had disappeared into the depths of the library and hadn’t come out yet. At least, not in Keben’s sight.

“If you’re hanging around, make yourself useful.” Set leapt in front of Keben, glaring at him. “Find Sayang and Darkling and get them to tell me how many troops are left to get out of here before we can leave.”

Keben rose, shrugging. “They’re no more likely to tell me than any other messenger you send.”

“But you’re not being useful yet,” Set said tartly, turning to the next issue.

Before he could be conscripted to any other task, Keben left the room. The corridors, normally filled with noise of some kind, seemed deserted, once he got away from Set’s parade of messengers. The old factory that the Traitor Republic had converted to its headquarters echoed with silence now, and Keben half-thought the building knew that it was unlikely they’d return, one way or another.

Near the training room, Keben paused to listen for the cracks, bangs, and shouts that usually marked how many people were in there. He could barely hear any, but the noises were there. He closed the distance, trying to figure out exactly how many people there were. Probably just Az and Sayang, but he wasn’t quite sure. Not until he actually reached the door and found that there was a ring around the edge of the room. Az and Sayang were in the middle of the ring, fighting with staves.

Keben stood in the doorway, watching them. He wasn’t a warrior, but he’d been around Sayang enough to tell that Az was good. Very good. He’d known that the Draik’s magic made him incredible, but even without anything to help him, he was beating Sayang back. The Kyrii slipped around his blows more often than not, but that was simply sideways movement, not forwards. Az was laughing, even, pulling blows right before they’d hit Sayang. She didn’t seem to be taking that well at all, redoubling her efforts to hit Az at all.

Shaking his head, Keben tapped Leo’s shoulder. “How many more of you does Set need to get out?” he asked, ignoring the irritated look the Pteri gave him. “I’d ask Sayang, but she’s busy.”

“My squad and Damian’s squad,” Leo said sharply. “The rest are staying. Tell Set we’ll be there as soon as they finish this.”

Keben nodded mutely, turning to leave the room.

“Keb.”

The Zafara looked back.

“Don’t hurt her,” Leo whispered harshly. “She doesn’t deserve it.”

“Wha— Oh. Yes. You know I won’t, Leo.” Keben sighed. “Don’t worry about it.”

Leo gave him one last look, then turned back to Sayang and Az’s fight.

Keben walked away, head in even more turmoil than before. He got back to Set without thinking about where his feet were taking him, gave her Leo’s message, and then turned away before he could get used for anything else. This time, when he walked away, he knew where he was going. Home. Cole and Connor would talk to him. They’d also tease him mercilessly, but that was to be expected.

He left the Republic’s headquarters without telling anybody. Walking the streets of Central, he straightened, walking like the noble he’d been born as. The glares he gave anybody who dared walk near him were heartfelt, at least. He never had liked being pressed against people he didn’t know. But the arrogant walk, the way he looked down his nose – those were an act. They always had been. His family knew that, though they did it naturally. Once, so had he.

That was changed. It had passed away with his coming of age, and his family knew it. They’d let him leave for the Traitor Republic without arguing. Cole and Connor, though part of the Republic, stayed at their mansion more often than not. And they were there now. Keben knew their habits well, and he also knew that nobody would’ve bothered to tell them what was happening with the Republic. He grinned, turning the corner to the street his home was on. They’d like what was about to happen.

Walking up to his family’s house, Keben hesitated. He turned away from the front door, instead opening the door to the small yard they were allowed. “Connor?” he called softly, stepping inside. “You there?”

“Keb?” Connor looked at him, surprised. “What’s up?”

“Faerieland.” Keben grinned, leaning against the wall. “We’re heading to the desert to take it. Thought you and Cole might want to know.”

The brown Uni nodded, a smile on his face. “Of course. We’re coming with you. Someone has to make sure you don’t get hurt, and Sayang doesn’t take enough care of herself to also take care of you.”

“Hey!”

“He’s right.” Cole poked his head out an open window. The darker brown Uni shook his head, smiling. “Sayang doesn’t even notice you anymore.”

Keben rolled his eyes. “You aren’t around enough to talk. Shut up about her. I want you to come back to the headquarters before Set leaves us behind, okay?”

“We’d catch up.” Cole left the window before Keben could reply.

Shaking his head, Keben followed Connor to the shed with all their tack in it. Saddling Connor was something he hadn’t done in far too long, and the Uni stayed surprisingly quiet through it all. Cole joined them as Keben was finishing up, a sober look on his face.

“I told your family,” Cole said, letting Keben start saddling him. “Caitlyn’s probably trying to get your parents to let her come with you right now.”

Keben buried his head in the Uni’s shoulder. “Please tell me dad gave his blessing.”

Cole laughed, the sound reverberating through Keben’s body. “He did. Come on, Keb. He knows you.”

“Not always.” Keben sighed, mechanically moving through the task of saddling the Uni. “He didn’t know what was up with my dreams.”

“Knowing magic and knowing you aren’t the same things,” Connor said. “Hurry up. I want to know who’s got you in this mood.”

Keben shot a glare at Connor. “He—”

“Please tell me you’re kidding.” Cole pulled away, staring Keben in the eyes. “He.”

“You’ll see, once you meet him.” Running a hand through his hair, Keben smiled. “He’s an interesting person.”

“Most of you idiots are.”

“Shut up about my friends,” Keben said absently, returning to his task. Neither of the Unis spoke again, and Keben mounted Cole without a word, holding tightly to the saddle. As soon as he was reasonably secure, the dark brown Uni launched himself into the air, flying almost straight up as he left the house behind. “Please tell me you know where you’re going,” Keben mumbled, grabbing Cole’s neck.

Cole’s only reply was laughter as wild as the wind.

Keben shut his eyes, holding onto Cole as a lifeline. “You know I hate this,” he said, ignoring the fact that the wind would probably carry away his words before Uni could hear them. “I wish you’d let me tie myself in. But no. You’re going to scare me to death just to get my mind off of everything.” He paused, thinking about it. “Thank you. I appreciate the thought, though not the— What’re you doing?” he shouted as they started dropping.

“Getting down to the headquarters,” Cole called, still laughing. “Isn’t that what you want?”

“I’d prefer something with less speed,” Keben mumbled, opening his eyes for a moment. The ground was approaching far too quickly. “Sayang’s the one who likes this.”

“You like it just as much, and you know it.”

Keben didn’t reply. The force of Cole’s wings snapping open knocked any reply he had out of his body, and as they touched down in front of the main entrance, all Keben wanted to think about was getting air back in his body.

Connor landed beside them much more slowly. “Be nice to him, Cole.”

“But it’s fun.”

“Having an angry Keb after you isn’t.”

“True.”

“Stop talking as if I’m not here,” Keben said, sliding off of Cole’s back. “Now, are you coming inside or not?”

“Coming,” the Uni chorused.

Keben shook his head, entering the building before they could change their minds. When they weren’t trying to annoy him, the twins were good company. The clicking of their hooves against the floor was comforting, and as they neared the noise that marked Set’s office, Keben began to smile again. Reaching the source of the noise, Keben stopped and waited for Set to notice him. Or for Sayang. He didn’t really care which happened first.

Neither, of course. Keben turned at the sound of Invidere’s voice. The black Eyrie stood off to the side, a shadow among shadows. Keben sighed. “Hello, Invidere.”

“Who are the pair with you?” Invidere asked, stepping closer. “I have not seen them before.”

“Cole and Connor,” Keben said, cutting off any chance the Unis had to talk. “Cole’s the one on my right.”

Invidere nodded politely to each of them. “We are leaving soon. Set wishes to talk to you first, however.”

“Thanks,” Keben said, walking into the midst of the crowd. Set would be in the middle of it, of course. Finding the small Xweetok in the middle of it, however, was more difficult. It usually involved waiting somewhere near where she should be and having her leap out and surprise you.

“Keben!” Set called, waving him over to a table. “Where were you?”

“Getting some friends.” Weaving through the crowd around Set’s table, Keben looked at the maps set on the table. “What do you want?”

“Confirmation that Faerieland will be over the Desert by the time we get there.”

Sighing, Keben glanced over Set’s neatly written figures. “There are a lot of people better at math, Set. Why me?”

“Dreamer.” Set grinned, pulling out a miraculously blank piece of paper. “And I trust you.”

Keben smiled, reaching over to ruffle the Xweetok’s blue hair. “Thanks, Set.” Running his eyes over both Set’s figures and the maps, Keben checked the coordinates. “Should be right. Unless some crazy windstorm comes up. Which I doubt,” he added at Set’s look. “Shall we get going?”

Set laughed, turning to look around. “Yes, I think we shall. Ready, everyone?” she called, voice somehow overpowering all the conversations around them. “Let’s move out!”

Everyone started moving towards the exit at once, bags slung over shoulders. Keben found his way back to the Unis, mounting Cole without a word. Glancing over at Connor, he grinned to see Sayang. “Just like the old times,” he said quietly, the words for her ears and those of the Uni they rode.

She smiled back. “Except we have more friends now.”

Keben laughed as Cole and Connor followed the crowd out. “I think I preferred the old times, if this cavalcade is what we have now.”

“I don’t know,” Sayang said, looking over those in front of them. Keben followed her gaze, eyes falling on the black Draik and Eyrie. “Maybe it’s better this way. We have a better chance of winning now.”

“Is that all that matters?” Keben asked quietly. “Our freedom from Sloth?”

Sayang didn’t reply, and they left the headquarters behind, taking to the streets in the first step on their journey to Faerieland. Keben looked to the sky, looking for patterns in the clouds. Cole shifted beneath him. “Can I fly?” the Uni asked. “Please?”

Keben laughed. “Please do.”

The Uni leapt, leaving the ground far behind. The wind rushed by, and Keben looked out to the horizon. That was where the next part of their destinies lay. The land of sky and sand.


	7. Twilight Songs

“What everyone forgets to mention about the desert,” Keben muttered, pulling his cloak closer, “is that the nights are blasted cold.”

Sayang laughed, turning to look at him. “Ain’t it wonderful?” She gestured to the blank landscape, unbuttoned coat flapping with the motion. “The land’s free. Even Sloth can’t conquer it.”

“Don’t fall back into that accent,” Keben said, sighing. They were sitting outside the camp, under the stars and in the cold wind. “It’s bothersome.”

“Just ‘cause ya grew up in the city don’t mean we don’t ha’ our own talk.” Sayang ducked, avoiding Keben’s half-hearted swat. “Right, right. Bugging you, am I?”

“You know you are,” Keben said absently, listening to the laughter inside the tent. The rest of Sayang’s squad – Leo’s squad – was in there, joking with each other. But Sayang had come out to keep him company. Neither of them mentioned it, but it was like how they’d just sat and talked during the ride between Goldrun and Central. If Cole and Connor hadn’t disappeared, they would’ve sat with the twin Unis, too. But as it was, they simply chose to be outside, alone in the night.

Sayang sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest. “I miss this,” she admitted. “This is the first time I’ve been out here since you came and swept me away.”

“You wanted to go, though.” Keben ran a hand through his hair, trying to get rid of all the sand that’d worked its way in. “You said as much.”

“Aye, I did.” The Kyrii smiled, looking out into the desert. “And the mountains and city still rise so much higher than I want them to. I prefer the flatlands, Keb. The desert, the plains. They’re my home.” She glanced at him before he could speak. “They’re barren to you, city-boy, but they’re still beautiful. You’ve never seen the desert in spring. Never seen anything but the sand and the dust.”

Keben gave up on getting rid of the sand. It’d just work its way back in. “Not true. I’ve seen you. And I’ve seen the stars.”

“Are those all you care about?” Sayang asked, facing him fully now. “Nothing about the rolling sands. Just the stars above it all, the stars that you—” She stopped, rubbing her face. “No, you couldn’t have seen them from the city. I wish you could,” she whispered. “I miss them. All the shining lights of the sky, stolen away and replaced by lights encased in metal and glass. It ain’t right.”

“When we take Faerieland, we’ll be above the clouds,” Keben said, knowing what he said was foolish but unable to stop himself. “And then maybe we’ll be able to see more stars than we can see from here.”

Sayang’s bright laughter carried across the sands. “Even Faerieland has its own lights. Only here do we have nothing but what we make with our hands, Keben. You would do well to remember that.” She rose, entering the tent. The sudden increase in noise made Keben wince. And then the entrance fell closed behind Sayang and Keben was alone in the night.

“Why me?” he asked, not really expecting a response.

“Because you are who you are. You stand within and without. It is a place I know well.”

Keben rose to his feet, trying to find the source of the voice. It wasn’t one he recognized. Light and smooth, but filled with sorrow. There was power in that voice, more power than Keben had ever heard before.

“Do you wish to see me, dreamer?” Laughter, soft and deeper than Keben expected, filled the darkness. “Maybe you will. Come to the sands, dreamer. I wish to talk to you.”

“Give me a reason to trust you,” Keben said quietly. He moved closer to the voice, still looking around. “How do I know you won’t just run away with me? How do I know you aren’t just a dream?”

“Have you heard of the Chronicler, dreamer?” The voice was sharp now, but the laughing tone didn’t disappear. “That is who I am. I swear by the stars and their song that I do not lie.”

Keben would’ve stared at the speaker if he could see him. He knew who the Chronicler was. He had written more volumes of history than anyone else, and they were universally accepted as truth. Nobody knew who he was or how old he was, only that he had lived relatively recently. “Very well,” Keben said. “Where am I to go?”

“Stand alone under the stars,” the Chronicler said. “I will meet you then.”

Looking into the darkness, Keben muttered a curse before turning and walking out of the camp. Even walking in a straight line, he wasn’t completely sure that he’d be able to find his way back without him. The Chronicler would hopefully help him, but he couldn’t be sure about that. He smiled. He’d just have to give the Chronicler his trust, Keben supposed. It wasn’t like he had a choice anymore.

A spotted Lupe sat in the moonlight, leaning back to look at the stars. “Sit with me,” the Lupe said quietly, not looking away from the sky.

Keben recognized the voice by the power that echoed through it. With a nod, he sat next to the Lupe. The Chronicler. He wanted to ask questions, but that probably wasn’t what he had been called here for.

“Neopia Central, what is now called Central, used to be simply a city of commerce,” the Chronicler said lightly. “It still is, I suppose. It was a neutral place where all the lands could gather without trouble, and the Defenders of Neopia guarded Neopia Central’s neutrality rigorously. Sloth... Sloth took it for his capital for the same reasons it became a city of commerce. It’s in the center of the world. Altador is on the other side, true, but without Shenkuu by its side, Altador fears to do anything. Especially with Faerieland, Sloth’s eye in the sky, floating over every part of the world as time passes by. And what do you think of this, dreamer?”

“What do I think of what?” Keben asked, shaking his head. “All you’ve said is facts. It’s the way the world is.”

The Chronicler laughed, looking at him with silvery eyes. “You’ll do well, dreamer. Tell me, then, why you believe you can dream true.”

Keben looked at the Lupe, surprised. “I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, I guess it’s because whatever barrier Sloth set up to keep the Faerie’s magic from us isn’t perfect, but I don’t know for sure.”

“All the powers still exist,” the Chronicler said, turning back to the stars. “It’s just that Sloth recruits anyone with power. Typically he transmogrifies them. Most of the time, that transition destroys their power. Then there are the few whose power survives. He currently has a flamecaster, a mind-reader, and an illusionist in his control. Perhaps more.” The Chronicler scowled. “He doesn’t talk to me anymore, so I don’t know for sure.”

“You know Sloth?” Keben said, surprised. “How?”

The Chronicler was silent for a long time. Only the wind blowing across the desert made noise. A song played at the edge of Keben’s hearing, and no matter how much he tried to hear the song, he couldn’t.

“You hear the star-song?” the Chronicler said, turning back to him. Keben jerked, the song fading away entirely. “But you—” He stopped abruptly. “Interesting.”

Keben looked at the Chronicler, curious. “What’s interesting? And what’s the star-song?”

“Nothing. And it’s something you shouldn’t be able to hear.” The Chronicler stood, his robe swirling around him. “Perhaps I’ll talk to him again. Perhaps this time he’ll let me.” Without any more warning than that, light gathered around the spotted Lupe, light brighter than the moon and stars above. Keben closed his eyes, trying to block out the light, and when the light disappeared, the Lupe had gone as well. Keben looked at the spot where the Chronicler had stood. Nothing remained but the wind and sand.

“He can teleport.” Keben tried to wrap his mind around that. It explained a lot about why the Chronicler’s histories sounded like the Chronicler himself had been there. Why not? If Invidere had a pendant that let him time travel, then why shouldn’t the Chronicler be able to teleport? “He can probably mess with the space-time continuum in other ways, too,” Keben muttered, standing. “Wouldn’t surprise me. Nothing about him would surprise me now, I think.”

Turning around, Keben found his footprints in the sand, still clear despite the time that had passed. Keben walked back alongside his tracks, staring up at the stars and trying to hear the song that the Chronicler had said he shouldn’t be able to hear. He couldn’t hear anything but the wind and, as he neared the camp, the voices of those in camp talking and laughing. Keben shivered, the chill of the night biting at him once more. With a sigh, the white Zafara found his way to the tent he and the Uni twins shared.

Entering the tent, he found Cole and Connor already asleep. Keben curled up on the floor, wrapping his cloak around his body as a blanket. He doubted he’d fall asleep anytime soon, with all the Chronicler had said and done buzzing through his head, but as the laughter outside dwindled, he found himself slipping away into dreams.


	8. First Light

The desert wind blew over Keben, carrying sand with it. He sighed. At least he wasn’t boiling in the heat. Glancing at Invidere, Keben shook his head. The Eyrie stood in the shade, but even though he must be boiling under black fur and feathers, he still held himself proudly, seeming to ignore the heat that everyone was complaining of. His head was tilted, ears flicking to listen to noises that Keben, though he tried, couldn’t hear.

Running the edge of his deep blue cloak through his hand, comforted by the familiar feel, Keben leaned back against a tent-pole. Against his white skin, his cloak was like the pure blue of dusk above a field of snow. Even if the dark color wasn’t the best for the desert’s heat, he still wore it, a talisman against defeat. Invidere, standing there beside him, was as dark as night, with fiery red and gold wrapped around his ankles and wrists. A blindfold in the same colors wrapped around his eyes, the ends hanging free and draping over the Eyrie’s shoulder.

Keben shook his head, trying to clear the heat-haze from it. Faerieland floated above them, the giant clouds easy to spot against their smaller cousins. That was why they stood here, waiting. That was why they had made their way out of the city, ignoring the robot’s suspicions. And that was why they waited for Proteus and Set to assure themselves that everything was ready. Taking a deep breath, Keben closed his eyes, letting his senses slide out of his body. He flew upwards, speeding towards the clouds.

Near his body, Keben heard the cacophony of the army taking off, the sounds muffled by the separation of body and mind. The army was flying for Faerieland to combat the robots that guarded the clouds and kept the Faeries captive in them. Keben smiled, letting his own rate of ascent slow as he searched for Az. The dark Draik flew at the head of the army, his black form covered in silver armour. Not that it would be much good against the robots, and it must’ve been suffocating in the heat, but the morale boost was worth it.

Breaking away from Azimuth, Keben went questing for Sayang. Before could find her, however, a touch on his physical body pulled him back to his body. Before he came out of his dream-trance, he caught a glimpse of the actual battle. Glancing at Invidere, he grinned. “The battle’s started.”

Invidere shook his head slightly, seeming amused. “Teach me how to do that, when this is all over.”

“I will,” Keben promised, looked up at Faerieland. Though he knew that there was a battle happening, it was invisible from where they stood, so far below. None of the explosions were large enough. Not yet. “Shall we find Set?” The Zafara let a hand rest on Invidere’s shoulder as he turned, taking Invidere’s silence as assent.

Guiding the Eyrie through the tents to the one that Set had claimed as her own was easy, now that the army had left. Once they were near Set’s tent, the noise made it evident that Set was inside, and so were enough other people to make it sound like a shouting match was going on. Keben sighed, ducking to enter. The sounds likely weren’t far from reality. “Be quiet,” he said, not raising his voice. “Shouting will get us nowhere.”

The tent slowly quieted, starting from where he stood. Keben smiled, striding forward to where Set stood. The Xweetok was pacing on the table that took up a fair amount of the tent. She looked up at him and began talking immediately. “Good. You’re here. Explain to these idiots that there’s no reason to send reinforcements yet. They’ll believe you, since you can Dream yourself up there.”

Keben nodded. There was no point in trying to resist the Xweetok. What Set wanted, she got, especially in this sort of mood. He closed his eyes, this time just focusing straight on Sayang, starting with her shape, the slender ruddy body covered with that leather coat she loved, and the way she’d be holding lasers, firing at any robot that came near. The details – the goggles that wouldn’t just sit on her head, but would cover her eyes for once, the ragged side of her left ear – were the keys, however.

Within a breath, his image of her was complete, and his mind leapt up towards her, knowing her mind as well as her body. The transition from the tent to the battle was abrupt. He could hear Sayang shouting orders, see her sitting atop the Uni that bore her, legs firmly strapped in. There were still robots fighting them, but when Keben tried to switch to Az to get a closer view, he got shocked back to the tent, the bright light that had covered the Draik throwing him away.

“They don’t need help,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. That light, whatever it had been, was strong. He’d known Az was good at fighting, but he hadn’t expected anything like that. Not something that was obviously magic and more powerful than anything he’d ever encountered before.

Set smiled, sitting down and looking at the others. “See? I was right, wasn’t I?”

There were muttered acknowledgements from around the room, and Set began pacing again, blue mane swishing with her movements. “Herb, go organize the healers.” The Mynci in question started to speak, but Set kept talking, cutting him off. “Yes, I know you’ve done it already. Do it again.”

Herb left without any more complaint. Keben, deciding that there wasn’t any reason to continue standing, especially with chairs around, sat down in a corner, rubbing his aching head. Az had more power than he himself realized, he suspected. It was a small consolation, but it was something, at least. With that sort of power, he doubted the robots would survive too long. Of course, if Az wasn’t in control of that power, the signal he and Invidere were waiting for wouldn’t come from him, as they had originally expected.

But it didn’t take nearly as long as he had expected for the signal to come. And when it did come, it came quietly. The noise was covered by the continuous talking between Set and whoever else was organizing all this. Coru, he knew was somewhere in the mass of people, trying to keep anyone from getting too upset at what Set did. Keben wasn’t paying attention to any of the talking, though, not until Invidere’s voice broke through.

“It is time.” Invidere rose to his feet, glancing at Keben. “They sent the signal.”

Keben looked at him, startled. “I didn’t—”

“I did.”

Keben nodded. He trusted Invidere. The Eyrie’s ears were amazingly sensitive. He stood, and the room froze for a moment. “Time to go,” he said, his mild voice carrying in the quiet. Everyone stared at each other, and then the babble broke out, louder than it had been before. Keben shook his head and began walking out, Invidere at his side. Outside, Keben swung himself onto Invidere’s back. The Eyrie’s fur was soft and smooth, even the mane what he took careful hold of. Invidere only gave him a moment to get settled, seeming to know exactly when Keben was secure, and then took off, launching himself past the tents.

Invidere circled above the tents, waiting. They had argued until only Cole and Connor were being sent as an escort, and the Uni twins soon joined them in flight. “Let’s go,” Keben said. Before the words were out of his mouth, Invidere was rising, heading unerringly towards Faerieland. He had said he could see the Faeries’ auras from the ground, and Keben believed him. Though he was blind, Invidere saw enough for two who could see. And it was a good thing, too. Keben doubted that Invidere would have survived if he couldn’t.

The clouds drew near, and Invidere slowed. As he crested the edge of the clouds, his wings held steady as he glided down, landing gently on the clouds. Keben slid off his back gratefully, bouncing slightly on the puffy surface. “Shall we wait for our escort?” he asked, guessing Invidere’s answer already.

Invidere shook his head and began walking, obviously unconcerned about whether or not their escort could find them. Keben followed, occasionally glancing back to see if Cole and Connor had managed to catch up yet. It took them longer than he thought it would, and he had expected it to take them quite a while. By the time the twins had caught up, Keben suspected that they were at least halfway to the City, where the Faeries were being help captive.

The Uni twins arrived at approximately the same time as the robot patrol did. Keben waved cheerfully at the Unis as they charged past, and after they had pounded the robots into scrap metal, grinned and bowed to them. “Thanks for coming,” he said. “So glad you made it when you did.”

The darker of the brown twins snorted at him. “Idiots, both of you.”

Keben laughed, following Invidere as the Eyrie continued walking, head tilted as if listening to something. Keben supposed that he might be. Invidere hadn’t been able to explain to him how his ability to sense auras worked. He’d tried several times, but always ended up giving up. Keben hadn’t even been able to get a strong enough lock on his mind to see as the Eyrie did, which bothered him, but that wasn’t something to think about just now.

Buildings passed by, all colored in shades of pink and purple and edged with silver and gold. Invidere walked by each of the building in turn, though Keben couldn’t see any difference between them. The Zafara sighed as yet another one passed by. “Invidere, how much further is it?”

“No further.” Invidere stopped in front of a building that didn’t seem any different from the rest to Keben. “I suggest you call in a few more guards than just Cole and Connor.”

Keben nodded, pressing two buttons on the wristband Set had given him. She’d called it a comm unit, and ordered him not to lose it. He’d asked her how exactly he was supposed to lose something strapped to his wrist, and she’d just stalked away, not answering his question. It was a useful device, Keben admitted, even if he didn’t understand it at all.

“Invidere’s found the place,” he said into it, ignoring the little voice in the back of his head that said that this was silly. “He’d like some more warriors.”

“Gotcha,” someone said. Keben couldn’t recognize the voice, much to his irritation. He knew all of the leaders. The comm unit just distorted their voices. “Heading for your signal.” 

Sayang’s voice came through recognizably, though it sounded like she was talking through a long tube. “Leo’s squad is on their way.”

“How soon will they get here?” Keben asked.

“Soon enough,” Sayang said tersely. “Now shut up.”

Keben turned the comm unit off. “Well, they’re coming, but I don’t know how long it’ll be until they get here.”

“Which squads?” Cole asked.

“Leo’s, Sayang said.” Keben shrugged. “And that’s it.”

“Good,” Cole said. “They’re one of the best.”

“Now what?” Connor asked, looking at Invidere.

Invidere smiled, settling down onto the clouds. “Now we wait.”


	9. Sunrise

Waiting was all well and good, Keben decided, but waiting in such a paranoia-inducing place was not. He was constantly on edge, expecting every noise to be either a squad of something, whether their warriors or Sloth’s robots coming to check on the Faeries. Cole and Connor’s nerves were just as taut as his were, their ears flicking to track every noise. In contrast, Invidere was utterly calm and serene, his gaze focused on the door to the pastel building in front of them.

It was irritating to Keben, and probably closer to infuriating for the twins. From the way Cole looked at Invidere, Keben suspected that he wanted to kick the Eyrie. If Connor felt the same way, he hid it better, his face a mask, not showing any emotions at all. Keben wasn’t as good at hiding his irritation, just settling for glaring at Invidere occasionally. Not that glaring would do anything, since Invidere couldn’t see them. He could probably sense the intent behind them, however, what with everything else he could feel.

When a squad did arrive, it was almost silently. The only warning was Invidere’s smile, and the way he looked up to the sky. Keben followed his gaze to see a green Pteri dressed in simple armour leading a flight of mixed Pteri and Shoyru, with a Korbat or two flitting around the edges. The leading Pteri, Leo, landed in front of Invidere. “Well?” he said, glittering eyes darting around restlessly. “Shall we get started?”

“Yes,” Invidere said. “We shall. I assume you know how to assault a building. Please do so.” He nodded towards the building the Faeries were trapped in.

The Pteri grinned. “Alright. Rico, you lead the attack.”

A dark red Shoyru nodded. “Gotcha, Leo.” He turned and began moving through the squad, talking to them and putting them in position. Keben watched, trying to understand why they positioned themselves as they did, and why Leo was letting someone else organize everything.

But before he could ask Cole did it for him. “Excuse me,” the dark brown Uni said, “but why’s Rico doing all this? Aren’t you the squad leader?”

“Sure,” Leo said, shrugging his wings. “But he’s better at this.”

“Oh.” Cole was quiet for a moment. “Is there any way Connor and I can help?”

Rico glanced back at them. “So you’re willing to be the can openers?” He grinned, teeth bright against his skin. “Good. You’re stronger than any of us.”

“Wait, what?” Connor sputtered, turning to Rico. “What’re we supposed to do?”

“You get to open the door for the rest of us,” Rico said, turning to study how everyone was laid out.

“Wonderful,” Connor muttered. Keben grinned, doubting that anyone else had heard the Uni.

Rico nodded. “Right, then. Go ahead and open the door, you two.” He stepped off to the side, giving Cole and Connor a clear shot at the door.

The twins looked at each other for a moment, and then Cole nodded. “Let’s go.” They charged, horns pointed straight at the door. Keben wanted to look away from them, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Smashing into the door at that speed was insane. They’d break something, alright, and hopefully not any part of their own bodies. But he watched as they ran, looking like brown and tan blurs. When they hit the door, it shattered with a resounding crash, sending pale pieces of wood flying everywhere.

“Now!” Rico shouted. All of the squad moved, running into the building. They were ignoring the splinters, their armor plenty of protection. Cole and Connor slowed, even as everyone else sped towards them. Keben cursed, trying to keep up with Invidere as the Eyrie ran with the squad. As the squad caught up to the Unis, the twins started running alongside everyone else. Invidere was at the front of the squad, running beside Rico and leading him through the corridors. Keben tried to keep up with them, but he couldn’t move fast enough. The Zafara ended up at the end, running between Cole and Connor, eyes locked on Invidere’s black form.

The robots that got in their way barely had time to warn them that they were trespassing and that Lord Sloth would hear about this before they got blasted away. A few of them managed to shoot before they were destroyed, and one of their shots wove through the squad and grazed Keben’s shoulder. The Zafara winced, but ignored the blood that began flowing through his pure white fur, staining it red and turning parts of his dark blue cloak nearly black.

But he kept running, not willing to lose sight of Invidere. He didn’t even jump onto Cole’s back, though the Uni offered. Going through the pastel rooms and corridors, everything blurred together into a pink and purple mass. The only constant was Invidere’s black form beside Rico’s red one. It seemed that even when he blinked, they were still in his vision, running together.

When they finally stopped, Keben almost fell over. All that kept him from doing so was Connor stepping in front of him and catching him. Keben draped an arm over the Uni’s back, holding himself upright with sheer willpower. His legs certainly weren’t doing the work. They felt like they were made of rags, not of flesh and bone. “They are inside,” he heard Invidere say, the Eyrie’s voice as calm as ever. “If you disable the security system, I believe they can open the door themselves.”

Keben watched as a tiny Korbat fluttered up, purple wings blending into the purple walls. It took the Korbat longer than he expected to start doing anything to the door. He examined it, the rest of the squad fanning out and watching for any robots, and only after a minute or so did the Korbat start fiddling with it. By the time the Korbat had backed away, the squad had shot down most, if not all, of the robots in the building. “Done,” the Korbat said, and a moment later, the door seemed to disintegrate before their eyes.

The Faeries stood in the opening, and foremost among them was their queen. Fyora smiled at them. “Thank you,” she said, looking around. “All of you. Especially the dreamers who guided you here. I doubt that you would have found us this easily if they hadn’t been here.”

“My queen,” Invidere said, bowing, “if you would not mind, could we save thanks for after we are safe?

“Of course.” Fyora waved a hand at her Faeries. “I believe that we can remove the robot problem, once under open sky.”

Invidere smiled, bowing once more. “Thank you, my queen.”

Fyora strode forward, the other Faeries fell into step behind her. Invidere followed just behind Fyora, and Keben hissed softly. He wouldn’t dare do that. None of the others would either, it seemed. They were all slipping in among the Faeries in huddled groups. Shaking his head, Keben glanced at Cole, who knelt, letting Keben up on his dark brown back. Connor followed beside them as they slowly worked their way up to the front. The Faeries parted smoothly before them, opening a way just large enough for them to take and closing up behind them.

Keben could feel Cole’s tense muscles as they moved through the silent Faeries. It was rather eerie, even to Keben, who’d thought that he’d gotten used to everything the world could throw at him. All the others Keben passed were trying not to look at the Faeries, and he suspected they feared being disrespectful. Cole and Connor certainly did, from how they were hanging their heads and shying away from stepping too near them. Keben was just focusing on Invidere, which was simply another way of avoiding the Faeries.

He caught up to Invidere just as Fyora reached the doors. She paused there for a moment, a hand resting on the doorframe, before stepping into the open air. Invidere held back, and Keben stopped next to him, sliding off Cole’s back to stand next to him, his white hand weaving into the black strands of the Eyrie’s mane.

Fyora laughed. The sound reminded Keben of birds and of the sunlight that didn’t seem so far away anymore. “Come,” she said. “The sun won’t hurt you.”

Keben bowed, not sure what he’d say if he opened his mouth, and pulled Invidere out of the doorway. Behind them, the Faeries poured out, most of them making exclamations of joy as the sun touched their faces and the wind blew against their wings. The spread out, some flying up, some kneeling on the cloud-ground, and all of them seeming to say some sort of thanks or prayer. Leo’s team followed the Faeries, staying close to the building walls, though whether it was out of respect or fear, Keben couldn’t tell.

But he and Invidere stood in the middle of it all, right beside Fyora. The Faerie Queen wasn’t joining the antics of her Faeries, but instead just stood there, smiling and watching the Faeries around her. When she finally called her Faeries together, it was with a gesture, not with any word that he could hear. But there had to be some magic to the gesture, for not all the Faeries were looking at their Queen, yet they all gathered together, forming rings around Fyora. Though there had to be a pattern there, formed by the elements of the Faeries, it wasn’t one that Keben could find.

Once all the Faeries had gathered, Fyora gestured again and all the Faeries joined hands, completing the rings. Not all of them were standing, but all their faces were turned towards Fyora in expressions of rapture. The cool touch of the Queen’s hand upon his shoulder made Keben start, but as soon as he looked at her face, he understood what he was supposed to do. This was why he and Invidere were standing next to her in a ceremony of Faeries. They were the links, the ones who were going to dream their way to all the robots that still worked on or around Faerieland.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he took Fyora’s hand.

The feeling of surrender was not one he was familiar with. He wanted to try and take control, but Fyora’s mind was not one that could be resisted. She would have control, one way or another, but she preferred to have their willing surrender of power. Invidere seemed even more uncomfortable with the idea than Keben, however. Keben suppressed a smile at that, but then Fyora’s purple-gold presence swept over him, an unrelenting tide, and he and Invidere had no choice but to surrender their power to her.

It felt like he was a part of her, and yet completely separate. He could sense Invidere’s presence beside him, a dark area of comfort and familiarity. There was another presence, cold, self-assured, and singing, that Keben couldn’t recognize. He knew that Fyora was using their powers, sending them into a controlled trance to use their dreaming ability. He could catch a few glimpses of what she saw — a black Draik with pale eyes, power fading from his body, a pair of Shoyru making a stand against a quartet of robots, a squad gathered, worrying about their leader, and other flashes too short for him to recognize anything in.

There was a sense of building power, a buzzing in his ears that drove away all thoughts from Keben’s head, leaving nothing but senseless euphoria. And the instant the power was gone, and a flood of purple that filled his vision, there was a feeling of pain and joy like nothing he’d ever felt before. It was everywhere, was everything. Keben knew his mouth opened, that he fell to his knees, but that wasn’t something happening to him. That was just what was happening to his body.

But as his senses returned, Keben felt his hand, fingers entangled in Invidere’s mane, a point of reality as he found his balance and his vision slowly returned. He could hear, and what he heard was cheers, all from familiar voices. Leo’s squad, all shouting for their victory, for the Faerie’s victory. They had won back Faerieland. They had won back their magic, and with that, they could win the war. “Thank you,” he whispered, looking up at Fyora. “Thank you.”

The Queen placed her hand on his head and smiled.


	10. Sunlight

It had been four days since they’d won back Faerieland, four days of relative peace and quiet as the Faeries rebuilt Faerieland and the rebellion made themselves at home. The days were long and full, but not long enough, not full enough. Keben sighed. Not that any amount of time would truly be enough, he admitted. Not with the knowledge that Invidere, Az, and Coru would be leaving hanging overhead. And today was the day they’d be going home. The Eyrie had agreed with his brothers on that.

Or rather, Coru had forced Invidere and Azimuth to agree. Invidere hadn’t been very happy about it. Not that Keben had expected him to be. All in all, he was a bit surprised that Invidere wasn’t just letting Coru use the pendant to take himself back. He could ask Invidere about that, but that meant finding him, and judging by how fruitless his search was at the moment, that would take longer than they had. The sun was high in the sky already, and at sunset they’d be leaving.

At this rate, he may as well just sit down and wait for Invidere to come to him. The Eyrie would do that eventually, he was sure, but that would imply that he was giving up. And he wouldn’t do that. He was going to keep looking until Invidere gave up. It felt like some sort of odd game, where the goal was to be more stubborn that the other. Keben grinned, thinking about that. In a way, it would probably be for the best if he did just give up. He could tell Invidere more, not just surprise him once he’d left.

Not that that wouldn’t be fun, but it was the principle of the thing. He’d rather not force Invidere to learn all the skills of Dreaming on his own, and once he left, that’d be pretty much what he’d need to do. The Zafara paused, catching sight of a garden. It shouldn’t be such a surprise to see one, and yet, seeing the pale trees and the winding path of a stream, he realized that he hadn’t seen anything of that sort since they’d come to Faerieland, and precious little of it on Neopia. Sloth had gotten rid of most places of pure beauty in his takeover, leaving only enough to support everything that lived.

Without a second thought, Keben walked into the garden, letting his hands brush the white bark of the trees, his fur matching their color and that of the clouds that supported them. Pale green leaves whispered in the soft breeze, harmonizing with the quiet ripple of the water. This garden was the most peaceful place he’d ever seen, outside his dreams, and his dreams had had precious little peace until recently.

“I wondered when you would find this place.” A dark shadow among the pastel colors, Invidere’s black form seemed very out of place, yet the dark colors and the brightness of his blindfold and ribbons fit perfectly into the pale whites and greens. “It took you longer than I had thought.”

“I didn’t know this was here,” Keben said, making his way to where Invidere stood. “I suppose the beauty might make your departure easier.”

“It will not.” Invidere looked down, the loose ends of his blindfold falling to hang by his head. “I... I’ll miss you.” The words came out in a rush, and Invidere looked like he wanted to take the words back even as he spoke them.

Keben sat down next to him, leaning against one of the pale trees and staring up at the slowly dancing leaves. “So will I,” he whispered. “So will I.”

Neither of them spoke for a time, content just be with each other in a place that felt like home. But when they did speak, it was softly. “What of Dreaming?” Invidere asked, breaking the silence of wind and water. “Is there any way for us to keep in contact using it?”

“Of course.” Keben smiled. “Through our dreams. It’s an interesting thing to do, but...”

“You use vision as a focus.”

Keben nodded, knowing that Invidere would sense the motion.

“Teach me. I will find a way around it.”

Of course Invidere would. He was too stubborn, too talented, not to. Keben sighed. “You realize how difficult this will be.” For me as much as for you, he added silently. “The basic technique, which I think you know, is riding another’s dream. Adding to that, there’s influencing it. This all works better when the other person is aware within their dream and can respond, just so you know. That’s the basic idea. Tell me, do you think you can do that, just off of what I’ve said?”

“Yes.” Of course. If Invidere’s eyes weren’t covered, he’d likely be rolling them. “Just one question. Do you think it will work across time?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried that before, but we have a connection, and that will definitely help. And if I could dream you, without knowing about it, then it’s likely. The pendent will also help, I think, but I really wish we knew more about it.”

“So do I.” Invidere put a paw over the pendent. “But we do not have a way to learn more.”

“Not one that’s safe, anyway.”

Invidere nodded.

They both fell silent, each lost in their own private world, where nothing existed but their dreams and the trees around them. Keben watched the slender trees bend and sway, moving in the wind, their branches and leaves forming an intricate dance above his head, silvery-green and scintillating in the sunlight. It was hypnotizing, and so like Dreaming, in its own way. Dreaming, which, despite what people always assumed, wasn’t constrained to when you were asleep. Dreams came when you were awake, and with just as much power, if not more, as when you dreamt, sleeping.

They were daydreams, the product of drifting minds. They were imagery, controlled like dreams could be, if you were skilled. Even imagination was simply a form of dreaming, in the end. And you could slip into any form of dreaming, if you had the skill and you tried. Oh, when people were asleep, it was easiest, but that was because they weren’t as aware of what was going on, but the strongest effects came from when you slipped into someone’s daydreams. They would remember that, and they didn’t always remember the dreams of night.

The sun on the trees was fading, turning closer to gold than the bright yellow-white it normally was. Time was, as always, running out. Keben sighed. “Invidere?”

“We should go, yes.” There was a pause. “I don’t want to.”

“Neither do I, but we need to. It wouldn’t do to be late.” Keben tried to summon a smile, but his effort fell flat. “Besides, we still have our dreams. Right?”

Invidere nodded, not really looking towards Keben. “But that comes later. In this moment, we’re still parting.”

Turning, Keben hugged the Eyrie, pressing himself as close to the silky black fur as he could. “Blast it, Invi, it doesn’t matter, in the end. We’re better off than Az and Sayang, right?”

Keben could feel Invidere’s laugh. “True enough. But I want to stay with you.”

“Come back, then.” Keben looked up at Invidere’s blind face, at the golden ribbon that wrapped around his eyes. “I’ll tell you when we’re preparing for the assault on Neopia Central. They’ll want you for that.”

“They will want Azimuth. To them, the rest of us will just be along for the ride.” Invidere sighed. “But it is better than nothing.”

Keben glared at the Eyrie. “Stop being depressing,” he said. “Right now, you have no reason to complain. Invidere, you can be as much of a mess as you want once you’ve left, but for now, we’re still here, and there’s no reason to be sad.”

Invidere stepped back. “We should go now.”

“Yes,” Keben said. “We should. And we will.”

“Not quite yet.” Invidere held out a paw. “Take the ribbon. As a reminder of this.”

Keben closed his eyes. He’d never seen Invidere without the ribbons wrapped around his limbs, and now the Eyrie was offering one freely. “I wish I could give you something in return,” he murmured, kneeling to unwrap Invidere’s arm. “But there’s nothing I can give you that wouldn’t be noticed.”

“Yes, there is.” Invidere smiled. “The clasp on your cloak.”

Holding the ribbon now, Keben touched the clasp. Silver and shaped like a pair of wings, symbolizing the dreams that rose above all else. He nodded once, unclasping it. “Where should I put it?” he asked.

“Just give it to me.”

Keben handed it to him, not saying anything. Invidere placed it in his mane, hooking it to something that Keben couldn’t see. Neither of them spoke as they began walking, and the silence continued as they walked, Keben keeping one hand in Invidere’s mane and walking as close as he could to the Eyrie. Black and white. Day and night. And, if you looked at what they wore, fire and water. So different, in some ways, and yet, so utterly the same, just like the pastel buildings surrounded them.

Invidere led the way unerringly, following a path that Keben couldn’t find. He suspected it had to do with Invidere’s Sight, but he had no way of knowing without asking, and he since he hadn’t asked before, he could wait until their dreams brought them together again. He couldn’t break the silence. Not yet. But as they reached the courtyard, Keben paused. “I suppose now is the time to say goodbye,” he whispered.

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

Keben slowly withdrew his hand from Invidere’s mane, not wanting to release the silky strands. “Goodbye,” he said, stepping back. “Farewell. And blast it all, I wish this weren’t the way it had to be.”

Invidere laughed, the sound echoing in the empty courtyard. “Goodbye,” he said. “And I wish the same. But we cannot change it now. We will make the best of it, though. You know we will.”

He strode out to the center of the courtyard and sat down, his back turned to Keben. The Zafara closed his eyes, turning around. Quickly and quietly, he made his way to the roof of a nearby building, sitting on the edge and looking down, watching and waiting. Invidere was dark against the silvery stones that made the ground. Dark, still, and silent. A Kougra soon joined him, a pale brown and yet still blending into the pastel background. Coru didn’t say anything to Invidere that Keben could hear, and the two of them sat there, waiting.

Invidere could have been a statue, if his fur didn’t move as he breathed. Coru, on the other hand, flicked his tail back and forth, obviously impatient. The sun sank closer to the horizon, and the shadows grew still longer. The golden light shone on the stones, and Keben sighed, twisting Invidere’s ribbon in his hands. Az had to get there soon or Invidere would kill him when he did. Minutes passed, but it was only when Invidere’s head moved, looking towards a pathway, that Keben knew that Az was close.

Following the Eyrie’s gaze, Keben saw Az and Sayang, walking together towards the courtyard. They paused just out of Coru’s sight, and Sayang said something that made Az laugh. The dark Draik stepped into the courtyard, walking towards Coru and Invidere. But Keben wasn’t watching him. He was watching Sayang. The Kyrii wasn’t moving from where she’d stopped, and Keben suspected that she was trying not to cry.

She’d told him once that she never cried. Keben had laughed at her. ‘Everyone cries,’ he’d said. ‘It’s just a matter of what and how much it takes to make it happen.’ She’d glared at him and stalked off, red fur shining like fire. But now, she just stood there, looking towards the courtyard, towards Az. Keben shook his head, looking back at Invidere. Light was gathering around him, and he could hear the words the Eyrie spoke.

“Addonos alio.”

Keben tensed. He recognized those words.

“Addonos uta vulnero locus.”

Cassiel, the Drake, the hero that Azimuth so reminded him of, had used that chant once. Vesperius Dajian-Amoure, one of her friends, had heard it on the day Shenkuu was destroyed.

“Addonos quanos succurro.”

According to Vesperius, the chant had surrounded her and Valentine, Vesperius’s older brother, with light.

“Sollumin.”

And then Cassiel and Valentine had disappeared and Shenkuu had gone up in flames.

_“Sollumin.”_

The echo brought light, and as the light broke over him, Keben closed his eyes, tears starting to fall. Cassiel’s story, Vesperius’s story, was one of the saddest of the takeover, though it led to the Traitor Republic’s birth. But this light, this echo of that story, took all he had and made him forget it, made him leave it all behind.

_“Sollumin.”_

The light was a part of him, part of a joy and a sorrow that replaced thought. Swirling colors, muted sounds, wind blowing over everything and carried a sense of parting with it.

_“Sollumin.”_

A hiss, a pop, and everything was back to normal, or as close to normal as it was going to get. Invidere’s ribbon twisted around his hands, Keben lay back on the roof and let himself cry.


End file.
